Regulations for Plymouth University Medical Undergrad Programs: Degrees, Structure, Assess, Exercises of Medicine

Download Regulations for Plymouth University Medical Undergrad Programs: Degrees, Structure, Assess and more Exercises Medicine in PDF only on Docsity! Plymouth University Academic Regulations – Medical Undergraduate Programmes 2015/16 v2 1 PLYMOUTH UNIVERSITY PENINSULA SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY Regulatory Framework for Medical Undergraduate Awards (changes since 2014-15 are bold and underlined). Introduction 1.1 These Regulations apply to the following Plymouth University undergraduate awards Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery BMBS Bachelor of Medical Science BMedSci (Hons) Diploma of Higher Education Dip HE (non-registerable) Certificate of Higher Education Cert HE (non-registerable) 1.2 The Degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery together shall constitute a recognised medical qualification with the General Medical Council (GMC) of the United Kingdom. 1.3 Unless specific mention is made, these regulations relate to students on full time programmes of study. 1.4 Variations from these Regulations may be permitted but will be subject to specific approval under the University’s quality assurance processes. Students should refer to the appropriate student programme handbook and the Technical Operations Manual for full details of the programme structure and assessment regulations. 2 Programme / scheme structure 2.1 Academic study will be organised into modules, specified in terms of credits. Module sizes may vary from 10 to 70 credits. 2.2 The standard study programme for an award consists of a number of Stages, each of which is worth 120 credits. A Stage is equivalent to one year of study for a full time student. 2.3 The Level of a module is determined by the standard of work required to achieve the objectives of the module. 2.4 The credit weighting of undergraduate awards will be: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery 600 credits total of which 360 should be at Level 6 or above Bachelor of Medical Science 360 credits at Level 6 or above Diploma of Higher Education 240 credits of which 120 are at Level 5 or above (non-registerable) Certificate of Higher Education 120 credits at Level 4 (non-registerable) Plymouth University Academic Regulations – Medical Undergraduate Programmes 2015/16 v2 2 2.5 The title(s) of the award(s) available within an undergraduate programme are specified in the programme specification. 2.6 Students may not be permitted to vary their programme of study at any Stage or Level due to the need to meet Professional Regulatory Statutory Body requirements. 3 Admission and Registration 3.1 Full details of the selection and admission process will be detailed in the Selection and Admissions Technical Manual. 3.2 The School will consider each application on its own individual merits and the process described in these regulations may be varied to ensure a fair consideration of individual applicants. Normally application must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). 3.3 The minimum age for admission to an undergraduate programme shall normally be 18 years at the predicted time for commencement of study. In exceptional circumstances, this minimum age limit may be set aside. There is no upper age limit. 3.4 Applicants for clinical programmes or programmes where contact with children, vulnerable adults or patients is part of a programme of study will also be required to comply with the School requirements for Fitness to practise screening. Doctors, as directed by the GMC, must be deemed fit to practise. Whilst the School will endeavour to support successful applicants with an actual or potential health problem in their chosen career, some conditions may be incompatible with undertaking a clinical training programme. The School will not admit to the BMBS degree programme any individual who, at the time of entry, would not be deemed fit to practise under GMC rules or who cannot fulfil the health requirements. Upon enrolment to the programme, adherence to the Faculty’s Fitness to Practise policy is an on-going requirement. 3.5 Applicants for entry to programme of study may be asked to declare any relevant health related problems which may affect their ability to fulfil the requirements of a programme and be required to comply with the immunization policy. Non-disclosure of a significant mental or physical health problem that is later discovered may lead to a student being required to withdraw. 3.6 The School reserves the right to refuse admission to or exclude from its undergraduate programmes anyone with a criminal conviction, caution, court injunction or fixed penalty notice. 3.7 The nature of the BMBS programme is such that no recognition of prior learning or exemptions from study are normally permissible, other than transfer at an appropriate level of study from another UK medical school. Any applications for such transfers will be judged in accordance with the policies of the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry. Plymouth University Academic Regulations – Medical Undergraduate Programmes 2015/16 v2 5 requisite number of clinical competencies to complete the Stage by the time of the Subject Assessment Panel, the Award Assessment Board will defer a progression decision and will offer a further referral opportunity. Progression to the next Stage of the programme, including the Elective component in Year 5, is dependent on successful completion of the referred assessment by the date set by the Award Assessment Board. 7.4 If a student achieves fails in more than one module, they may be excluded from the programme. 7.5 A student will not be allowed to repeat the same year more than once. 7.6 A student may be allowed to repeat two different years of the programme only at the discretion of the Award Assessment Board. 7.7 A student must submit themselves for all required assessments unless authorised absence or extenuating circumstances have been approved within the appropriate timelines. 7.8 Progression from Stage to Stage A student will be expected to pass a Stage of study in its entirety before being allowed to progress to the next Stage. 7.9 Graduation – Successful Completion In order to graduate with a BMBS, a student must have obtained at least a satisfactory grade in all Stage 5 modules in the same academic year. 7.10 Award of Credit Module credits will be awarded at the Award Assessment Board, but progression through the programme does not depend only upon credit accumulation because of the requirement for currency of knowledge and skills in the programme. 8 Award of BMBS and BMedSci 8.1 A BMBS may be awarded to:  A student who is registered for the award of a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and has successfully completed 600 credits with at least 360 credits at level 6 or above. 8.2 The award of a BMBS (with Distinction) will normally be based on a student’s assessment performance in Year 5 of the programme. Students who attain an Excellent in both Medical Knowledge 5 and Clinical and Professional Practice, with no remediation (except ILS and in vitro competencies) in the final year, will be eligible for the award of BMBS (with Distinction). In addition, all students will be ranked on their performance in Medical Knowledge 5 and Clinical and Professional Practice in Year 5. A BMBS (with Distinction) may be awarded, at the discretion of the Award Assessment Board, to students in the top quartile in both Medical Knowledge 5 and Clinical Professional Practice, with no Plymouth University Academic Regulations – Medical Undergraduate Programmes 2015/16 v2 6 remediation (except ILS and in vitro competencies) in the final year, and have all professionalism judgements at least Satisfactory. 8.3 Students whose ranking falls in the top quartile, with no remediation (except ILS and in vitro competencies) in the final year, will be considered for the award of BMBS (with Merit). BMBS (with Merit) will be confined to those students who are ranked in the top half of both Medical Knowledge 5 and Clinical and Professional Practice 5, and have all professionalism judgements at least Satisfactory. 8.4 Only students who have passed each year of study at the first attempt will normally be eligible for a BMBS with Distinction or Merit. 8.5 A BMedSci (classified) may be awarded as an exit award to: A student who is registered for the award of a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and has successfully completed 360 credits, including 120 credits at Level 6 and met all of the module specific requirements for the award. 8.6 If the student’s average z-score falls within the boundaries of the awards defined below, the student is entitled to that award: 8.7 Certain module assessments are excluded from calculation of the award. The module assessments used in the calculation of the award are set out in the PUPSMD Technical Operations Manual. 8.8 Resit data are excluded, unless a student has taken these as their first attempt. 8.9 If a student has repeated a Stage, the data used to calculate assessment z- scores is taken from the first attempt. 8.10 Z-scores are not weighted between modules nor assessments within modules. 8.11 At Stage 1, the average z-score for the module assessments used at this stage are averaged and restandardised, providing a single z-score for Stage 1. 8.12 At Stage 2, the average z-score for the module assessments used at this stage are averaged and restandardised, providing a single z-score for Stage 2. 8.13 At Stage 3, the average z-score for the module assessments used at this stage are averaged and re-standardised, providing a single z-score for Stage 3. Z-Score predicted % Award Equal or greater than +1 70 BMedSci (Hons) First Class Honours Equal or greater than - 0.5 60 BMedSci (Hons) Upper Second Class Honours Equal or greater than - 1.5 50 BMedSci (Hons) Lower Second Class Honours Less than -1.5 40 BMedSci (Hons) Third Second Class Honours Plymouth University Academic Regulations – Medical Undergraduate Programmes 2015/16 v2 7 8.14 The Stage 1, 2 and 3 z-scores are averaged together and re-standardised, providing a single z-score for each student. In averaging together the Stage 1, 2 and 3 z-scores, these are weighted on the basis of a 1:3:6 ratio. The degree award is based on the final overall z-score. 8.15 In determining the levels of award, only the overall z-score may be initially used by the Award Assessment Board. If this score is predicted to be within 3% of a higher award, z-score data for Stage 3 will be considered and if this meets the required standard, the student should be awarded the higher level award. The Award Assessment Board may not use other criteria as a means of determining the level of award. 8.16 No module assessments at Stage 4 or Stage 5 will be used in the calculation of the Bachelor of Medical Science degree classification. Any additional module credits beyond the 360 credits achieved at the end of Stage 3 will be noted on the academic transcript. 8.17 A Diploma of Higher Education may be awarded, as an exit award, to:  A student who is registered for the award of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and has successfully completed 240 credits, of which at least 120 are at Level 5 or above. 8.18 A Certificate of Higher Education may be awarded, as an exit award, to:  A student who is registered for the award of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and has successfully completed 120 credits at Level 4 or above. 8.19 Students awarded the BMedSci, Dip He or Cert HE, will not be qualified to register with the General Medical Council, but will receive a transcript of credits achieved. Students leaving the course during Stage 4 or 5 will also be awarded the BMedSci with a transcript showing additional credits achieved. 9 Extenuating Circumstances / Late Submission of Coursework 9.1 The PU regulations in relation to Extenuating Circumstances and late coursework will apply. 10 Appeals 10.1 Appeals against the decision of an Award Assessment Board will be dealt with in accordance with Plymouth University regulations pertaining to academic appeals. 10.2 Deadlines The BMBS programme is considered to be a non-standard undergraduate programme and as such any appeal against the decision of an Award Assessment Board must be submitted no later than 10 working days after the actual publication of the official results list (not the date of the issue of the student’s transcript).